Ethnicity

[Risto the Great]

The Slavic peoples are an ethnic and linguistic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in Europe. From the early 6th century they spread from their original homeland (most commonly thought to be in Eastern Europe) to inhabit most of eastern Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Many settled later in Siberia and Central Asia or emigrated to other parts of the world.

Modern nations and ethnic groups called by the ethnonym "Slavs" are considerably genetically and culturally diverse and relations between them are varied, ranging from a sense of connection to feelings of mutual resentment.

Slavic peoples are classified into West Slavic (including Czechs, Kashubians, Poles, Slovaks, Silesians and Sorbs), East Slavic (including Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians), and South Slavic (including Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs and Slovenes).

Honestly, what do you take from the above text? How would you like to use it?

[Truth Bearer]

You see I don't have an issue in regards to who's who in the zoo.Unlike some ultra nationalists I don't adher to only the Greeks can be Macedonians.I believe in more of a middle ground.I know you might find my statement startling but after years of research and talking to people from both sides of the border it's not as black and white as we think it is.There is a lot of grey in the whole picture of Macedonia.The soiolution who knows the answers only us the demos can solve it as both our goverments would have to adher to the people.Maybe just maybe we might find a middle ground.

[Delodephius]

No, I don't believe Slavs are a race since there are no such things as races. There are no Slavic peoples or Slavic ethnicities. There are only Slavic speaking peoples and Slavic speaking ethnicities. The difference between some of them are so vast is hard to even call them ethnically related.

[Struja]

Why then are the Slavs considered one of the 5 main races in Europe??
Slovak are u seriously telling us that the SLAVS aren't a race???

5 races in europe?? now I'm wondering what is your definition of a race is?

If by race you mean "ethnic group" then there's no easy answer because there are no standard definitions. but I do like what tomas wrote...

but If by race you mean gene pool, then according to the accepted definitions of anthropology, there is only three races. The caucasoid, negroid, and mongoloid. Homo sapiens split into those populations.

[Truth Bearer]

Yes the Celts,Latins,Germanics,Slavs and the Greeks.The other 2 minor ones are the Basques,Albanians and Hungarians......

[Delodephius]

Those are linguistic groups, not races.

[leonidas]

The term ethnic and ethnicity is very much in vogue these days.

We have people in the Balkans identifying as ethnic Macedonians, others as ethnic Greeks, ethnic Albanians, ethnic Bulgarians, ethnic Serbians to name a few.

I have read articles where the term ethnic Slav is used as an ethnicity.

Who or what in the Balkans would fit this description?

An ethnic group is a type of cultural collectivity, one that emphasizes the role of myths of descent and historical memories, and that is recognized by one or more cultural differences like religion, customs, language or institutions. Such collectivities are doubly historical in the sense that not only are historical memories essential to their continuance but each such ethnic group is the product of specific historical forces and is therefore subject to historical change and dissolution. Professor A.Smith distinguish these ethnic groups between ethnic categories and ethnic communities. The former are human populations whom at least some outsiders consider to constitute a separate cultural and historical grouping. But the populations so designated may at the time have little self-awaraness, only a dim consciousness that they form a separate collectivity.

An ethnic community, on the other hand, can be distinguished by just these attributes, even if they arc firmly held and clearly enunciated by only small segments of the designated population and even if some of these attributes are more intense and salient than others at a given period.

[Risto the Great]

but If by race you mean gene pool, then according to the accepted definitions of anthropology, there is only three races. The caucasoid, negroid, and mongoloid. Homo sapiens split into those populations.

Sorry Struja, you forgot Greekoid.

[Struja]

Sorry Struja, you forgot Greekoid.

Ah yeah the so-called fall out Homo erectus of the Greekoid species. This sub-group just made it into the Homo sapiens species after making out with the Cro-Magnon man 50,000 years ago. Sorry for my mistake RTG.

[Struja]

Yes the Celts,Latins,Germanics,Slavs and the Greeks.The other 2 minor ones are the Basques,Albanians and Hungarians......

you got to be kidding me, right!

[Truth Bearer]

I kid you not go and do yr research........

[Struja]

I kid you not go and do yr research........

read leonidas's and tomas's post will ya.

[Pelister]

An ethnic group is a type of cultural collectivity, one that emphasizes the role of myths of descent and historical memories, and that is recognized by one or more cultural differences like religion, customs, language or institutions. Such collectivities are doubly historical in the sense that not only are historical memories essential to their continuance but each such ethnic group is the product of specific historical forces and is therefore subject to historical change and dissolution. Professor A.Smith distinguish these ethnic groups between ethnic categories and ethnic communities. The former are human populations whom at least some outsiders consider to constitute a separate cultural and historical grouping. But the populations so designated may at the time have little self-awaraness, only a dim consciousness that they form a separate collectivity.

An ethnic community, on the other hand, can be distinguished by just these attributes, even if they arc firmly held and clearly enunciated by only small segments of the designated population and even if some of these attributes are more intense and salient than others at a given period.

Sure, but an ethnic group doesn't spring up by magic.

Each group is unique to its region, and acquires characteristics peculiar and particular to the conditions of the region they reside in. So, a Macedonian, naturally, resembles many ancient Thracian traditions, not found among modern Greeks, and yet they live so close. To me its a question of accuracy. Which Nationality more closely resemble the normative historical processes of that region?

[Royal Hellas]

Sure, but an ethnic group doesn't spring up by magic.

Each group is unique to its region, and acquires characteristics peculiar and particular to the conditions of the region they reside in. So, a Macedonian, naturally, resembles many ancient Thracian traditions, not found among modern Greeks, and yet they live so close. To me its a question of accuracy. Which Nationality more closely resemble the normative historical processes of that region?

Bulgarians.

[Risto the Great]

Bulgarians.

Or is it Serbians?
How about Macedonians.
Apparently you don't know.
And since Bulgarians were originally a Turkic tribe that adopted the language of the region .... well ... that was from the region we collectively call Macedonia. So a dumb insidious comment like yours should really be ignored.